On Tony Hale’s Disney+ show The Mysterious Benedict Society, whose second season wraps up this week, a group of brilliant kids go on an adventure across the world in search of the titular mentor. Of course, as is often the case, Vancouver represents these fantastic landscapes, and it is a happy place for Hale. “It’s so incredibly beautiful,” says the actor, who spent most of Season 1 filming there amid pandemic restrictions. “It really forced me to take a deep dive. I was hiking a lot, passing the Capilano Bridge, or walking around Gastown and Milltown. More recently, with things reopening, he’s found some new favorite spots. “I’ve been to these great restaurants, Fable and The Greek [by Anatoli], and there’s a whole outdoor shopping area, Granville,” he says. “It’s not just the industry, it’s much more of a melting pot of people.”
His work has taken him around the world, but it’s actually trips to his hometown that he never tires of, while his most beloved vacation of all time may have involved Mickey Mouse. Tony Hale chatted with Conde Nast Traveler about hotel pillows, in-flight sleep (or lack thereof), and why grocery stores in other cities are so soothing.
Why airplanes are the best working environments:
I always come with a book I’ve never read – one or two books that never get touched. But I just produced this movie called Sketch in Nashville, so whenever I was flying, I loved giving notes on scripts. I’m super focused on planes when it comes to scripts and notes! [Flying] feels like a constant hug, a white noise hug, almost. It completely limits me and I am much more focused on an airplane than at home. It’s like a cafe, where you have people around you, but they’re not with you, so it’s the noise and the chaos around you, but I can concentrate in that.
And the one thing you won’t catch him doing:
I can’t fall asleep, because I’m the person who’s like, does anyone recognize that we’re in the sky in a metal container? It’s very strange ! My body is constantly like, “Ah, I have questions. How does it work?” My body just can’t relax. If only I could.
His first time in first class or business class:
I think it was 1999, and I was shooting a commercial for Volkswagen. They took me to Los Angeles to do this Mr. Roboto commercial. I had always gone through business and first class, you know? It was just, “Wow, they have a lot of room there.” It’s almost the wizard behind the curtain, and so I couldn’t believe I was there. I still I can’t believe it when I’m on a business trip. I’m that kid who thinks, Did someone make a mistake? Are you sure you didn’t mean 25-B? Im impressed that I can sit there and get the hot nuts.
His priorities when planning a vacation:
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